Around The World Party

Whether or not you have plans to set sail for foreign lands, take your friends and family on an international trip with all the comforts of home with these Around the World party ideas.

Feature tastes, iconic images, sounds, and even fashion from around the globe for a fun evening celebrating new and novel places.

The Theme

Use a travel theme as a fun way to connect your countries (or cities) and provide cohesiveness to the event. Welcome your guests with a directional wooden sign post with arrows pointing to each of your destinations outside the front entrance.

Decorate the foyer or entry to your Around the World party as a travel agency office with world flags, luggage (with stickers), maps, globes and posters. And, transform your main bar into an airline ticket counter and use food picks featuring the country’s flags to serve appetizers and decorate drinks for each location.

Alternatively, use a cruise theme to visit countries in a particular region, such as a Mediterranean, South American or Caribbean cruise. Use nautical and cruise ship decor for your entry and main bar. 

Actually, you can use any mode of transportation, such as trains for visiting specific cities or hot air balloons in keeping with the original Around the World (in 80 days) concept.

Issue boarding pass-style invitations for each guest decorated with travel or country-specific pictures. As a memorable keepsake, create personalized passport books with room for a photo and entries for each “destination”. 

International sporting events always make for a great excuse to throw an Around The World party, such as the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics. Whether a viewing party or entertaining in season, encourage and enjoy the friendly camaraderie.

Throwing an Around the World party in honor of an international holiday makes for a fun and distinctive theme for a social gathering. We've included a list of international holidays throughout the year at the end of this post.

The Guest List

You may not be an expert world traveler or be able to spout off fascinating historical facts about far off places, there is a good chance that some of your friends and acquaintances have a relationship with countries outside of America. If not, hosting this kind of party is a great way to network and expand your social group! 

Although it's not necessary to accommodate your guests‘ nationalities and cultures, featuring a country to which they are somehow connected to will enrich the occasion by incorporating their experience. It can open the door to spontaneous conversation and interesting dialogue that will be unique to your event.

The Plan

Incorporate at least three but no more than seven countries, depending on the size of your gathering. This range gives enough variety without making it impossible for guests to “visit” each country. 

One way of organizing the event is to designate rooms or stations for each country featuring culturally-inspired appetizers, drinks, and decor. Print your own posters of iconic architecture or cultural treasures and place them at each station, and incorporate full-size or miniature flags for each country.

Another possibility is to serve hors d’oeuvres and drinks in rounds that correspond with culturally-relevant musical selections mixed-in your playlist, so that everyone can “travel” together. An Around the World dinner party is also a great way to experience food and drinks from different countries with each course.

When decorating for each country or city consider distinctive and unique elements from the area, such as:

The Dress

In my opinion, an Around the World theme screams costume party, although in truth I would be hard-pressed to think of any party that doesn't have potential for themed accouterments. 

Encourage your guests to wear their favorite travel-inspired costumery (depending on the formality of the occasion), from safari hunter garb, to uniformed flight attendant or airline pilot, to hilariously fashion-immune tourist gear.

Destination Ideas

Paris, France

      Mood: Romantic and sophisticated
      Colors: Pastel pink, black, white
      Landmarks & icons: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Chanel No 5, Fleur de Lis
      Scene idea: Charming French cafe with striped awnings, round tables, and chalkboard menus
      Decorations: French paintings, Parisian street signs: Rue de la Paix or Avenue des Champs-Elysees, poodles, berets
      Flowers: Pink Roses
      Lighting: Soft & romantic, votive candles, warm white fairy lights
      Food: Pastries, croissants, macarons, baguettes, French cheese, quiche, crepes
      Drinks: Champagne, Perrier, Orangina

Cairo, Egypt

      Mood: Mysterious and opulent
      Colors: Gold & sand with jewel tones: emerald, red, royal blue
      Landmarks & icons: Pharaohs, pyramids, Sphynx, Temple of Karnak, Anubis, Eye of Horus, Ankh, Cleopatra
      Scene idea: Bedouin tent at exotic oasis: sheer, light fabrics draped from ceiling, rugs & textiles in rich saturateed colors and interesting patterns, floor cushions
      Decorations: Hierooglyphics, King Tut, scarabs camels, palm leaves, gold coins, papyrus, metallic-gold painted accents, jewel-toned glassware
      Flowers: Potted palms, Iris, Amaryllis
      Lighting: Soft, ambient light, gold or amber fairy lights & votives
      Food: Middle Eastern falafel, hummus, baklava, baba ghanoush, koshari; add edible sand & gold luster dust
      Drinks: Arak, mint or hibiscus tea

New York, USA

      Mood: High energy
      Colors: Black, white, yellow, silver
      Landmarks & icons: Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, Broadway, Brooklyn Bridge
      Scene idea: Skyline street scene: Skyscraper silhouette cutouts & fairy lights
      Decorations: Yellow taxis, street signs: Broadway and Wall Street; Subway map or signs: Tribeca, Harlem, Brooklyn, Chelsea, Queens, SoHo, The Bronx; Theatre Playbills
      Flowers: Yellow Chrysanthemums, Daffodils
      Lighting: Marquee & neon lights
      Food: Mini hot dogs, pretzels, pizza, bagels, cheesecake
      Drinks: Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, Lemonade, Egg Cream

Tokyo, Japan

      Mood: Tranquil and serene
      Colors: Red, black, white, gold
      Landmarks & icons: Sensoji Temple, Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, Mount Fuji
      Scene idea: Serene Japanese Garden: Cherry blossom branches, bonsai tree, koi fish
      Decorations: Parasols, paper lanterns, fans, folding screens, samurai swords, kimonos, orgami, anime masks
      Flowers: Cherry blossom branches, bamboo
      Lighting: Soft, warm, diffused, paper lanterns, & candles
      Food: Sushi, sashimi, tempura, ramen, yakitori, mochi, wagashi; add chopsticks
      Drinks: Sake, green tea

Mexico City, Mexico

      Mood: Vibrant and lively
      Colors: Bright pinks, blues, greens, yellows, & reds
      Landmarks & icons: Angel of Independence, Frida Kahlo, National Palace
      Scene idea: Festive Mexican street party: Colorful streamers and banners
      Decorations: Serapes, maracas, sombreros, paper picado banners, folk art, Aztec symbols, pinatas
      Flowers: Cactus, marigolds
      Lighting: Strink lights, lanterns, & candles
      Food: Tacos, mini burritos, tamales, guacamole, churros, tres leches cake
      Drinks: Margaritas, agua frescas

Create a focal point that grabs attention and serves as a visual centerpiece at each station and don't forget the flags!

International Holidays

Source: www.calendarlabs.com

Send us your Around the World party ideas and international theme photos.